Run(a)way
by Love Is a Myth
Summary: Sakura Haruno become Tsunade Senju's assistant, the Runway magazines Editor in Chief. She learns about the fashion industry and the people who lead it more than she would like; Karin doesn't eat, Kakashi's not gay and McDonald employees charge tip? Spin off of the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Not to be taken seriously.


**Inspired by movie The Devil Wears Prada. **

**I do not own The Devil Wears Prada nor Naruto.**

**Run(a)way**

"Where is my coffee? Has she died or something?" Asked Tsunade Senju, her perfectly shaped brow rising, her eyes intimidating in their glare before turning back towards the clothing rack in her office.

You did not want to get on Tsunade Senju's bad books. But unfortunately it is all too easy to fall under such categories that she dislikes. You don't dress well? You can't take "simple" instructions? Or worse, she just flat out dislikes you the first time she lays eyes on you?

Unluckily, Sakura Haruno has the pleasure of meeting all qualifications stated above. It didn't matter that she graduated top of her class from Brown University, Tsunade found her inadequate right from the beginning.

Her classically beautiful name—"Boring." Tsunade would drawl—did not match her frazzled looking short cropped pink hair. Her thick rimmed glasses were uncomplimentary and did little to hide the purple bags hanging from bellow her lids. She toted moss green loafers, dark washed jeans and an over sized red poncho hoodie on her first meeting with the blonde Editor in Chief of Runway magazine; she was doomed the moment she walked through the doors.

"Here it is, Tsunade-sama." Sakura replies, carefully laying the steaming cup down on the lacquered wood of her desk, apprehensively awaiting further orders.

"Stop fidgeting, you're giving me a head ache."

"Y-yes, Tsunade-sama."

Sakura stays still as a rock, her heart beating a mile a minute, nervous out of her mind. She wasn't allowed to leave her boss's presence without a dismissal, something she learned the hard way—not like anybody was willing to help out an unattractive newbie like herself—as she still has back pains from when she had to shelf all of the new shipment of shoes for the department as punishment.

Tsunade takes a sip, her face thoughtful for a second, then ever so slightly her red painted lips curl to the side, her lips forming a cruel smile. The pinkette visibly wilts, already resigning herself to more punishments from the blonde.

"Karin…what is this?"

"Um, it's coffee…, ma'am?"

"Yes. Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Karin. But what I'm asking is why it is here? Why am I drinking this?"

"I-I, um—"

"I take my coffee piping hot and Irish, non fat with two shots of whiskey. _This _is coffee. Do you understand now?"

Sakura could do nothing but nod.

"Good. Now get out. And I expect my steak in fifteen minutes."

As she picks up Tsunade's order- from a restaurant which wasn't even open yet!- Sakura realizes that Tsunade had been calling her Karin the whole time. Did the woman even _know _her name?

._.

"You're the best." Sakura says, as she inhales the sweet aroma of ramen.

"I know. Why don't you give me a kiss as thanks then, Sakura-chan?" Naruto replies, smiling cheekily.

"You're pushing your luck there mister. If you weren't paying half the rent, I would have thrown you out long ago for your cheeky comments." Sakura replies, teasing the blonde and sticking out her tongue.

"Careful with that tongue, I might not be able to control myself and just bite it." Naruto warns, as he gets closer to her face.

Sakura flushes at the sudden close proximity but closes her eyes and leans forward slowly. Naruto's eyes widen in surprise but he readily closes them as well and readies himself to move in for the kiss. But suddenly he feel her blow a breath on his ear, whispering; "Gotcha!"

Then the pinkette quickly ran away with her ramen and promptly locked her door.

"That's not fair Sakura-chan! You're supposed to share!"

"I'll remember that the next time I have to pay for your share of the rent again!" Sakura laughs, enjoying the late night ramen all to herself as she listens to Naruto whine. Moments like these helped her forget about her worries at work.

._.

"I mean, both belts look the same to me?" Sakura observes, looking at the two tortoise belts, their silver buckles slightly different in design but nevertheless similar looking in her eyes.

"Karin—"

"And, um, my name is Sakura, in case you forgot…"

Tsunade gives her a smile, or maybe a grimace, before telling her in a soft and polite tone of voice; "Get me two piping hot espressos and kindly dump them down your hideous cerulean sweater, please."

._.

"Okay, I'll deal with everything else. Just pick up the skirts from Dolce and Gabbana." Karin tells her, pinching the bridge of her nose, looking for all the world like she was burdened with the task of teaching a mentally impaired blind child how to read.

"Me?" Sakura points to herself, baffled.

"No, have Mark from marketing do it- Yes, you, stupid. Or do you have some prior commitment? An ugly skirt convention perhaps?" Karin says, almost to herself, laughing at her own jibe.

Sakura wasn't too bothered by it; she's inevitably used to it after spending many afternoons with the red head.

"Okay but um, can you spell Gabbana for me?"

._.

"Do you know why I hired you? I always hire the same girl- stylish, slender, of course… worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be, I don't know, disappointing and often, stupid. So you, with that impressive résumé and the big speech about your so-called work ethic, I thought you would be different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the _smart_,_**fat**_ girl. I had hope. My God. I live on it. Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than any of the other "silly" girls."

By the time Tsunade finishes and dismisses her, Sakura was near tears. The salty little droplets falling down her cheeks as she exited the office with a sunken heart and burdened shoulders; she rwasn't that fat! She was a size six for crying out loud!

._.

"I just don't understand, Kakashi. I've been trying my best. When I do something right it goes unnoticed and when I do something wrong, she makes it as if I was Hitler and getting her the wrong coffee is just as bad as genocide!"

"And what does this have to do with me again?" Kakashi drawls as he continues to peruse through the mock up of the June issue. Would the floral lay out be too "spring" for a summer spread?

"I mean, is it too much to ask for a little bit of acknowledgement from her? I do all this unnecessary work and, ugh!" Sakura continues on, pacing the room and pulling at the frazzled stands of her hair.

"Why don't you quit then?" Kakashi asks, lazily turning his half lidded eyes on the frustrated pinkette.

"Qui-quit? No! I have never…I don't plan on quitting. It's just…" Sakura trails, looking off to the side and rubbing her arm in contemplation.

"I just...I just want her to acknowledge that I'm trying my hardest at this job."

"What do you expect me to say then? Oh poor Sakura, poor little Sakura, Tsunade's bullying her! Get over it, she does this to everybody but she does this because it's her job. It's her job to make sure that every single little piece in this company's machinery is perfectly working. It's the reason why she's revered; she gets the job done. So don't come crying when she doesn't give you a gold star for your effort." Kakashi replies, suddenly standing up from his seat and circling her.

"Lots of girls would kill for this job, but for you, you're not even trying. You're _deigning _to do this job. To you this is just a job, something to pay the rent and this is why you won't get Tsunade's acknowledgement. You say you're trying your best? Are you really? Then do better or quit. Because others, like myself, are certainly more than willing to fight for the opportunity you've been given."

"I…-sigh—I'm screwing this up, aren't I?"

Kakashi nods nonchalantly, continuing to peruse his notes for the next issue.

"I just wish I knew how to just do better…" She trails off, looking at Kakashi's hunched form when suddenly an idea strikes her.

Sakura smiles wide.

"Kakashi? Kakashi~"

He turns to her and realizes what she's thinking.

"No."

._.

"Most of the clothes here are sample sizes consisting of twos and fours. It'd be a miracle to find anything that fits a six like you." Kakashi tells her as he further peruses the clothing department's stocks for anything that would fit the pinkette.

"You say that but look at how big a pile you've already given me." Teased Sakura, gesturing towards the neat pile of designer clothing, shoes, bags and accessories she's acquired.

"Hmm. Well, hurry up and get those together, we still need to go to the Beauty department and I'm looking forward to the copious amounts of time I'll have, to read, since they'll take God knows how long in making you presentable."

"Ouch. Hurtful…"

"But true."

And Sakura just nods, knowing better than to argue with the taciturn male.

"Why do you work for a fashion magazine anyway? I mean, you're obviously straight, though you do dress nice, and you always go around reading porn…"

._.

"Wow, are those the Chanel—"

"The new Chanel boots? Why yes, yes they are." Sakura smiles, turning back to her computer, her straight pink tresses gleaming with the movement.

"Unbelievable." Karin says, her mouth hanging open.

"Damn, the dorky looking girl got hot. Think she can give you a run for your money Karin, but then again _anybody _can give you a run for your money if we were talking about looks here." Suigetsu snickers, poking fun at the fuming red head while continuing to check out the newly transformed pinkette.

"Shut up. And get out of here, Tsunade's about to arrive from her luncheon." Karin angrily replies, shoving him out the door.

"I will, I will. Just let me leave this memo from the advertising department." Suigetsu placates, holding up a green sticky note.

He smoothly puts it down on Sakura's desk before leaving the room with a wink and a whirl. His John Lobb Oxfords leaving a trail of small tapping sounds as he departs from the office.

Tsunade gives an amused snort once she sees what the green memo contained. A certain Suigetsu from the advertising department's contact information and a hastily scrawled "_In case you need help getting out of those Chanel boots ;)"_.

She throws the memo to Sakura, startling her from her notes.

"Next time you have time to participate in illicit office romance, why don't you put in more effort in getting my coffee order right and on time?"

The pinkette sputters later as she reads the memo's contents.

._.

"You're late!" Ino yells at Sakura as she comes in to the small café where they usually meet.

"Sorry for being late, a black cat ran across the road I was taking so I had to take the roundabout way." Sakura replies, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Maah, Sakura-chan! You're not even trying to make your excuses believable anymore!" Naruto laughs, letting her tardiness once again slip.

"Clearly the Hag's real reason behind her lateness is her boss again, correct?" Sai chimes in.

"Seriously, who do you get such outrageous excuses from? You used to be five minutes early for everything!" Huffs Ino, crossing her arms in front of her; the blonde was clearly put out.

"I already apologized didn't I? Besides, I got you guys something good!"

Sakura takes out the contents of her shopping bags handing something to each of her friends.

"Well, I guess your new job isn't so bad after all. In fact, I love your new job! Thanks for the Louis Vuitton bag~!"

._.

"Oh? So you work for Tsunade? Hmm. That's too bad. You won't be able to survive a year with her." Madara tells her, shaking his head before taking another sip of wine.

"I, I don't understand what you mean." Sakura replies, chuckling a bit but feeling vaguely insulted.

"Don't get me wrong, I just mean that you seem like a nice girl. The kind that would never survive the Dragon Lady."

"Well you're wrong. I'm going to succeed at this job, you'll see." Sakura states, gives him a perfunctory smile before taking a small sip of her drink and then promptly leaving the raven haired writer at the bar.

"Hmm, interesting."

._.

"Really. How hard is it put a book on top of a table. I hired you because you were supposed to be smart. Where has all that intelligence gone?"

"I—"

Tsunade holds up a finger, stopping her answer short.

"That was a rhetorical question. Now fetch the latest Naruto novel for the twins, they leave at four o' clock for the train so I expect the books to be on my desk by three."

"Yes, I'll go to the Barnes and Nobles down the str—"

"Are you vapid? Or did you just hit your little head on the pavement? The twins already have all the published books, the want the next installment; they want to know what's next." Drawls Tsunade, knowing very well that it was near imposible to obtain the book's manuscript.

"Also, get me fresh water squid, grilled and seasoned by Chef Merculier. I want it on my desk in fifteen minutes. And If you don't have those manuscripts on my desk by three, then it'd better if you don't show up at all." Tsunade states as she saunters out of the office, flipping her glasses down and smoothly swinging her coat over her shoulder.

Sakura wanted to cry.

._.

"I'm the best. You're itching to say it. So go ahead, say it." Madara's cocky voice says through her phone's speakers.

"You-you got the manuscript?!"

"A friend of a friend had a copy because they were making the cover art; what luck you have Tsunade's girl."

"Oh my god, but I, you see I already—"

"Whatever the case, meet me at St. Kaguya, I'll be at the bar with the manuscript."Madara interrupts, brusquely telling her instructions before hanging up.

Sakura stares down at her phone in shock.

"Well, I guess I'm going to be keeping my job after all….I should probably tell Naruto in case he does something extreme to celebrate…"

._.

"Your coffee and Naruto's Seventh Edition manuscript." Sakura states promptly after setting down both items, visibly calmer and more confident.

"One copy? And what do you expect the twins to do? _Share?_" Tsunade asks, pursing her lips at the pinkette.

"No, I've already had two copies rebound and recovered so that it wouldn't look like a manuscript. Both of them already have it and are reading it on the train ride to their grandmother as we speak. The extra copy on your desk is only if it is needed on the record. Will that be all, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura finishes off with a bright smile.

"Hmm, yes. You may go, Sakura." Tsunade says, turning her chair around with a contemplative look on her face.

Sakura smiles wide as she exits the office. Tsunade called her Sakura!

._.

"What do you mean you didn't quit your job after all? I spent money on these!" Naruto exclaims, visibly irritated from all the effort he went through.

"I'm sorry but it was just a moment of weakness… and Naruto, even If I had quit my job, I still wouldn't willingly eat over five thousand calories in one seating!" Sakura replies, shaking her head, finding it hard to be apologetic for all his wasted efforts because of the huge bowl of ramen he procured to "cheer" her up.

"What? I thought doing the Ramen Challenge would cheer you up!"

"…wouldn't it make more sense that it would cheer _you _up?"

"Ehehe, you're right, Sakura-chan. But it's the thought that counts?" Naruto agrees, ruffling his hair sheepishly while giving her a bright smile.

And Sakura smiles back. All is well again.

For now.

._.

"Yeah, I can't wait to hear what Tsunade thinks of that." Sakura snorts, rolling her eyes at the whole absurdity of it.

"I hope that's not attitude I am hearing from you Sakura." Kakashi drawls, slanting his eyes sideways to give the pinkette a look.

"I'm sorry, it just came out. Sorry. My personal life has been in shambles lately." Sakura says, apologetic.

"Hmm. Nothing new. Once you get better at your job, something else will have to suffer and often its relationships that go down first. Tell me once you've lost all your friends. That's when you know it's time for a promotion."

"Haha. Funny."

"Hmm, not really. Now go, before I decide to feed you to one of these models."

._.

"Wow. You actually look nice." Karin compliments Sakura as they enter the gala.

"Thank you. And… You look so thin, Karin."

"Do I? Thank you!" Karin replies, looking ecstatic.

"I've been on a diet for months; I don't eat anything, and when I feel like I'm about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese to relieve myself. I'm only a stomach flu away from my weight goal." Karin continues while climbing the stairs with the pinkette.

"I really don't think that's healthy…"

"Oh shush. –Sigh- I just wish I wasn't so sick, I'm in Valentino for Christ's sake!"

._.

Sakura misses Naruto's birthday party and Naruto just shakes his head once she enters their shared apartment, told her she looked beautiful in her dress before tiredly going off to bed.

Sakura stayed up all night debating whether or not to eat the three hundred calorie birthday cupcake she bought for him.

._.

"What do you mean you didn't have any other choice? You always have a choice and you chose to betray me!" Karin screamed, her manicured hands furiously ripping off the lid of a pudding cup.

Karin looked awful, bruises on her face and a few casts on her feet. The taxi that ran her over really did a number. But at least she was eating now.

"I- I really didn't have a choice, I am truly sorry."

"That's a bunch of bullshit and you know it! I knew you'd stepped over to the dark side the moment you put on your first pair of Jimmy Choo's! Ugh and you know what really gets me the most? You. You get to go to Paris and get all of those clothes when you weren't even interested in fashion when you started out! You don't deserve those clothes at all. Get out."

"I truly am sorry."

"I said, get out. And tell them to get me more pudding!"

._.

"So, what's the champagne for?"

"To toast. To the job that a million girls would kill for." Kakashi says, his lone eye crinkling into a smile, while lifting his glass in the air.

"But I got the job months ago?" Sakura chuckles but nevertheless lifts her glass and bumps it with a _clink _against Kakashi's glass.

"Not you Sakura; me. Kabuto Yakushi's design company is expanding and I'm going to be his partner for his international enterprise."

._.

"So in the end, Kakashi gets his position taken by Orochimaru because Tsunade's a bitch and wanted to keep her Editor in Chief position at Runway. You had sex with Madara Uchiha, which you thought was fantastic but you walked out on him to defend your boss which is Tsunade the bitch who betrayed Kakashi to save her own hide. And she implied that you were just like her when you told her you couldn't do what she did to Kakashi and points out your own error in betraying Karin by going to Paris and taking her hard earned place essentially-which you compensated for by giving her all the clothes you got in Paris- and so you quit your job, am I following correctly so far?"

"Yes, perfectly."

"But this still doesn't explain why you're telling me all this. Lady, you took an hour telling me your life story when all I asked for was your order. This is the drive through station for McDonalds, not the Oprah Winfrey show."

"…I'll have a Big Mac with large fries and a Sweet Tea."

"Finally. That'll be $10.25."

"What? Isn't that too much?"

"It's only right to tip me isn't it?"

._.

"Top of your class in Brown University and Editor in Chief, eh? You have a pretty impressive resume but you worked for the magazine Runway for about six months?"

"Um, yes, I kind of messed that up…"

"Yes, I called them for a reference and next thing I know I get a referral in the fax from Tsunade Senju herself. She talked about how you were her most disappointing assistant; I would be an idiot not to hire you."

Sakura lights up at his words, regaining hope.

"I mean, you must have done something right, then. Besides your article on onsen baths and their security is just the kind of thing we publish here at Icha Icha Quarterly. Welcome to the team, Sakura Haruno."

"Thank you very much for this opportunity, I won't let you down Jiraiya-san!"

Little did Sakura know that the publishing company that she got into dealt with _Erotic Literature. _

It took her less than six months to quit and just start a publishing company of her own.

**A/N: Wrote this little quirky piece to help me get over my writer's slump. Hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing it.**


End file.
